Veterans Education Success currently provides free assistance to several thousand veterans and service members who were deceived by a predatory college. Below is just a sampling of testimonials from those veterans and service members about what they faced. Please share your story by writing to help@veteranseducationsuccess.org

“When I attempted to transfer my units from Brown Mackie to Pasadena City College in California, I found out that none of my units transferred because they didn’t have the right level of accreditation. Not only did Brown Mackie lie about their accreditation level but they lied about (the) level of education they offer… I have a debt with nothing to show for it and am struggling to stay afloat.”

I specifically asked ITT Tech before signing up whether their degree was the same as any other public 4-year university and was told YES. I found out while applying at NYPD, LAPD, Seattle PD and 23 other police departments that NONE of them accepted ITT Tech credits. Once I found out that my time and money spent at ITT Tech was worthless, I tried to transfer my credits to a community college. I was told I have to start completely over as a freshman.”

I tried for years to find help when a for-profit college misrepresented itself to me. Lucky enough, someone I knew pointed me to Veteran's Education Success. They were able to help me with the VA system and put me in contact with free lawyers who could help. Within a year I was able to reach an agreement with the college in question and now I have a little less to worry about.

I believe that the University of Phoenix is using deceptive practices in order to lure students into the school. The enrollment counselors tell students that they should be complete with their course of studies in a short period of time, fully knowing how long it is going to take. . . . I have talked with other students at the University of Phoenix and this appears to be a common tactic used by University of Phoenix enrollment counselors.

I am so thankful for Veterans Education Success. They have done more for me in 4 months than anyone and/or an organization has done for me in almost 4 years. For a minute I wanted to give up. People telling me, “it’s my fault and there is nothing that could be done and I will just have to pay off the student loan,” can be frustrating. It was such a magnificent feeling to find Veterans Education Success. It has allowed me to see a light at the end of tunnel. I am blessed to know that I have a wonderful organization that will stand by my side and fight until the end. You have given me the reassurance; I am happy that I never gave up when doors closed on me. THANK YOU AGAIN!

I went into the military so I wouldn’t have college debt, but DeVry University [signed me up for a $15,000 loan without my knowledge.] Now I have this debt and I have a family and it’s taken that money away from my family. It’s all about the money. It’s all a money game. It really bothers me.

“I was told that the Art Institute had a 93% job placement rating and since the school had campuses all over the U.S., that I would have access to a nationwide network of employers… It wasn't until near the end of my schooling that I began to realize that a lot of the training I was getting was outdated, in some instances by a few years, and that I had a long way to go until I was up to par with the industry standards. I also found out that… my program had a success rate of only 38%. I have student loans that I am going to be paying off for years and really I have nothing to show for it.”

If vets are going to go to a for-profit college, call employers, see if they’ll accept an online degree. Compare with state institutions and community colleges, and classes on post. Do your research first before jumping in with both feet like I did.